1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to digital data reproducing apparatus and, more particularly, is directed to a digital data reproducing apparatus suitably applied to a digital audio tape recorder (DAT), for example.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When data such as a piece of music, conversation and so on is recorded by a conventional tape recorder such as a DAT or the like, then the data is sequentially recorded from the starting portion of a magnetic tape provided as a recording medium. With the above-mentioned arrangement, a piece of music and conversation recorded are reproduced in the sequential order of the recorded data by reproducing the magnetic tape thus recorded from its starting portion.
In case part of recorded data on the magnetic tape thus recorded becomes unnecessary, new data can be recorded on the magnetic tape at its portion in which the unnecessary data is recorded. If the recordable tape length is shorter than data length to be recorded, it is proposed that two recordable portions or more are searched and data are recorded on two recordable portions or more.
However, if a set of continuous data is divided and recorded on two recordable portions or more, upon playback, the starting point of the data recorded next must be detected and then reproduced by transporting the magnetic tape in the fast forward mode or in the rewind mode after the first recorded portion was reproduced, which causes a reproduced sound to be interrupted during the next recorded portion is searched for.
Accordingly, continuous data such as a voice or the like can hardly be recorded discontinuously
It is, however, preferable from a utilization factor of the recording medium that continuous data can be recorded on a plurality of divided places. For this reason, it is requested that continuous data such as voice or the like can be recorded discontinuously and recorded data can be reproduced continuously.
An example of a method of obtaining continuous reproduced sound when a set of continuous data is divided and then recorded on a plurality of portions of a recording medium such as a magnetic tape will be described with reference to FIG. 1. In this case, let it be assumed that continuous data is divided and then recorded on three portions of a certain magnetic tape as shown in FIG. 1. More specifically, audio data d1 of a predetermined duration is initially recorded and the next audio data d2 of a predetermined duration is then recorded on the portion distant from the recorded portion of the audio data d1. Further, the next audio data d3 of a predetermined duration is recorded on the portion distant from the recorded portion of the audio data d2. At that time, starting portions m1, m2 of the second and third recorded data d2 and d3 are stored in advance in a memory means of the reproducing apparatus. With this arrangement, upon reproducing, during the recorded portion of the next audio data d2 is searched for by the magnetic head after the first audio data d1 is read out, that is, during a so-called seek control is carried out (during the period in which the magnetic tape is transported in the fast forward mode during an interval shown by s1 in FIG. 1), the data m1 recorded on the starting portion of the audio data d2 stored in the memory means is read out and the reproduced sound during the seek control can be obtained on the basis of the data m1. Similarly, during the recorded portion of the next audio data d3 is searched for by the magnetic head after the audio data data d2 is read out, that is, during a seek control is carried out (during the period in which the magnetic tape is transported in the fast forward mode in an interval shown by s2 in FIG. 1), the data m2 recorded on the starting portion of the audio data d3 stored in the memory means is read out and then the reproduced sound during the seek control can be obtained on the basis of the data m2.
If the reproducing apparatus is provided with memory means for storing data of the starting portions of the respective recorded blocks, even data recorded on a plurality of discontinuous divided portions can be reproduced continuously.
Although the recording and/or reproducing apparatus employing the memory means for storing data of the starting portions of the respective recorded blocks may utilize data of the starting portions of the respective recorded blocks stored in the memory means in the recording mode in order to reproduce the magnetic tape recorded thereby, this recording and/or reproducing apparatus cannot reproduce a magnetic tape on which audio data or the like are divided and then recorded on a plurality of portions by other recording apparatus without difficulty. In other words, if the recorded magnetic tape is merely installed in the reproducing apparatus, then it is impossible to reproduce data continuously because data of the starting portions of the respective recorded blocks are not stored in the memory means.